The Republican journal., 1887-12-15
A Free Trade Manifesto.
MIR. BLAINE's COMMENTS On r!l,NlDt
CLENELANDS MESSAGE

MT blalne Ill IarlS Dec. ith and the result was
cablcd to that parc-. Mr.. Blaine said
II have been reading an abstract of The Prc>-
dents message and have been especially inter
ested i'll the comments of the London papers.
Those papers all assume to declare the message
Is free trade manifesto, and evidently are
anticipating an enlarged market for English
fabrics in the United States As L consequence
of the Presidents recommendations. Perhaps
that fact stamped the character OF the message
more clearly than any words of mine can.
You don't mean actual free trade without
duty? queried the reporter.
NO. replied Mr.. Blaine. Nor do the
London papers mean that. They >imp, mcln
that the President has recommended what in
the United States is known as a revenue tariff
rejecting the protective feature II, an object
and not even permitting protection to result
freely as an incident to revenue duties. For
the first time in the history of The United >tatcs
the President recommends keeping the Internal
tax in order that the tariff NAV he forced
down below the fair revenue standard. H.
recommends that the tax on tobacco he r-
tanned. and thus that many millions annually
shall be levied on = domestic product which
would far better come from Il tariff Oh forc4m
fabrics
TIE TAN ON TOBACCO.
Then do you mean to imply that yui woul
favor the repeal of the tobacco taxi:
certainly; / mean just that said Nj.
Blaine. IL should urge tha. it be done ii
once, even before the Christmas holidays. Ii
would in the first fpacc bring great relief 10
growers of tobacco all over the country. aud
would. moreover. materially lessen thc price
of the article to CONSUMERS. Tobacco 10 millions
OF men Is necessity. The President calls il /;
luxury. but it is a luxury in no Other >el.sc
than tea and coffee are luNurcs. Watch, II You
please. the number of men at work on tic
farm. in the coal inne along the railroad. in
the iron foundry. OF in any calling. and yn
will find % III 100 chewing while they Wolh
After each meal the same proportion seek the
s"lacc of a pipe or cigar These men bot
only pay the millions of the tobacco tan. bui
pay on every plug and every cigar AZ enhanced
price which the tax enables the manufacturers
and retailer to impose. The only excise to.'
such !; tax is the actual necessity under which
the Government found Itself during t! WAR
and the years Immediately following. 10 r.
tain the tax now in order to destroy thc pro
lection which woull incidentally follow RAJ IN.
the same amount OF money OH iorytn imports,
Is certainlya most extraordinary po!i,y 70. or
Government.
TIE WHISKY TAN.
well. then. Mr. blailc. would You advise
the repeal OF The whisky tax al>o:
NO, wouIdnot. Other con>itCrat ions than
those Of financial administration are to he
taken into account in regard to whisky. There
is a moral side to it, 10 cheaper tic ity,.t of
whisky is to increase the consumption cnur-
mou>ly. There would be no sense in urging
the reform wrought by high license in MANY
States if the National Government n1utr:.iix,>
the good effect by making whisky within reach
Of every one at 20 cents Gallon. Whisky
would be everywhere distilled Ii the s>iyeil-
lance of the Government were Withdrawn IN
the remission of the tan. and Illicit sales cot!h
not then be prevented even bya policy a> ri ;"r-
Gus and searching as that with hich ltu>>ia
pur>ues the Nihli>t>. 1t would destroy hi.ii
license at once in all the States. Whish, has
done Il vast deal of harm in the nitci states.
would try TO make it do some good. | woulH
use the tax To fortifv our cities OF The >rabQari.
FoETllICATIoNs.
In view Of the powerful letter addressed 10
the Democratic party on the subject o. foIjiii-
cations by the late Mr.. Samuel j. li!icn III 1881,
am amazed that no attention has been i.titI TO
the subject by the Democratic Administration.
Never before in the history OF the world lui-
any Government allowed great cities ON The
sea board, like Philadelphia, New York. Boston,
Baltimore, New Orleans and san Francisco, 10
remain defencelc>s.'
But after the fortilica:ion> should be con-
strncted would you still maintain tic lax on
whisky:'
Yes said Mr. Blaine. $50 Ion- rs there is
whisky to tax l would tax ii. and When The
National Government should have no ll>e for
the money | would divide the tax among thc
Federal Union with the specific object Of light
ening the tax on rea! estate. The Houses and
farms Of the whole country pay too large Z
proportion of the total taxes. If ultimately
relief could be given in that direction it would,
in my jud @ment. be Il wise and benetcen, pot
icy. Some honest but misguided frieild, Of
temperance have urged that the Government
should not use the money derived from the tax
on whisky. My reply is that the tax OIL wlii>!,!
by the Federal Government, with its suppress
sion of all illicit di>tiIlaton and consc lllent cIi-
hancement of price, has been powerful agent
in the temperance reform by putting il beyond
the reach of many. The amount of whisky
consumed in the United States per capita to-
day is not more than 10 per cent. of that con-
suined thirty years ago Mr.. Blaine added that
in his Judgment the whisky tax should he 80
modified as to permit all who Use pure alcohol
in the arts or in mechanical pursuits to have i;
free of tax. In all such eases the tax could be
remitted without danger of fraud. Just rs no,y
the tax on spirits exported is RENTED
TIE WOOL INTERESTS.
''Be>i,leS your general and sweeping oppo>i-
ton to the Presidents recommendation. have
you any further specific ohjection:
Yes. answered Mr.. Blaine. II should ~cr;-
ou>ly object to the repeal Of the duty Oh wool.
TO repeal that would work great injustice to
many interests. and would seriously Gi~cUuI-
age what we should earnestly encourage. name
lv. the sheep culture among farmers through
out the Union. To break down wool growing
and be dependent on foreign countries FOR the
blankets under which we sleep and tiic coat
that covers our backs is not wise policy for
the National Government to enforce.
''Do you think if the Presidents RECOMMENDS
dations We're adopted it would increase nuv cx-
port trade:"
''Possbly in some few articles of peculiar
construction it might, but it would increase our
import trade ten-fold much in the great
staple fabrics in wooden and cotton goods. in |
iron. in steel. in all the thousand aud one i
shapes in which they are wrought. How are We |
to export staple fabrics to the markets of E;i |
rope unless we make them cheaper than they |
do in Europe. and how are we to manufacture
them cheaper than they do in Europe unless We
get cheaper labor than they have in Europe:' |
THE LABOR QUESTION.
'''rhen you think that the question Of labor
underlies the whole subject"
''Of course it does replied Mr.. Blaine. sit |
is, in fact, the entire question. Whenever we |
can force carpenters, mason>, iron workers and |
mechanics in every department of work as
cheaply and live As poorly in the United States |
as similar workmen in Europe, we can. of
course. manufacture just as cheaply as they do
in England and France. But | am totally OPP |
posed to policy that would entail such re-
suits. TO attempt it is equivalent to Il social |
and financial revolution, one that would bring |
untold DISTRESS
''Yes, but might not the great farming class
he benefited by importing articles from Europe |
I